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Discontinued Operations and Held for sale businesses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2017 | Nov. 30, 2017 | Sep. 30, 2018 | Mar. 31, 2018 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Mar. 31, 2017 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Sep. 30, 2018 | Sep. 30, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Mar. 20, 2018
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax | $ (1,486) |  | $ (1,718) |  |  |  |  | $ (1,718) |  | $ (1,486) |
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations |  |  |  |  | $ 129 |  |  |  | $ 254 |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Revenue |  |  |  |  | 945 |  |  |  | 2,726 |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Costs of Goods Sold |  |  |  |  | (876) |  |  |  | (2,573) |  |
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax |  |  | 3 |  | 0 |  |  | 199 | 0 |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Other Expense |  |  |  |  | (26) |  |  |  | (94) |  |
Discontinued Operation, Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operation, before Income Tax |  |  |  |  | 43 |  |  |  | 59 |  |
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) from Disposal of Discontinued Operation, before Income Tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 243 | 0 |  |
Income (loss) on discontinued operations, before tax, attributable to Noncontrolling interest |  |  |  |  | (21) |  |  |  | (30) |  |
Income (loss) from discontinued operations, before income tax, attributable to parent |  |  |  |  | 22 |  |  |  | 29 |  |
Discontinued Operation, Tax Effect of Discontinued Operation |  |  | 0 |  | (17) |  |  | (2) | (24) |  |
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent |  |  | (1) |  | 5 |  |  | 192 | 5 |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets | 2,034 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,034 |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Liabilities | 1,033 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,033 |
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations |  |  |  |  | (61) |  |  |  | (181) |  |
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses and Interests in Affiliates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,796 | 39 |  |
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business |  |  | 21 |  | 1 |  |  | (856) | 49 |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets | 1,948 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,948 |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Liabilities | 1,033 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,033 |
DPL Peaking Generation [Domain] | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses and Interests in Affiliates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 239 |  |  |
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business |  |  |  | $ 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Compania Transmisora del Norte Grande [Member] | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets Carrying Amount Disclosure Nonrecurring |  |  | 99 |  |  |  |  | 99 |  |  |
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses and Interests in Affiliates |  |  | 220 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Masinloc Subsidiary [Member] | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses and Interests in Affiliates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,050 |  |  |
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (773) |  |  |
Electrica Santiago (Gener ESSA) [Member] | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses and Interests in Affiliates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 287 |  |  |
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (69) |  |  |
Kazakhstan [Member] | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses and Interests in Affiliates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24 |  |
Masinloc Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 51.00%
Eletropaulo Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operations, Investments in and Advances to Affiliates | $ 86 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 86 |
Discontinued Operation, Equity Method Investment Retained after Disposal, Ownership Interest Prior to Disposal | 17.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount |  | $ (611) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (455) |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Pension Gains (Losses) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (243) |
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal of Discontinued Operation, Net of Tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 199 |  |  |
Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) from Disposal of Discontinued Operation, before Income Tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 243 |  |  |
Eletropaulo Subsidiary [Member] | Discontinued Operations [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets | $ 86 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 86 |
Kazakhstan [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  | 0 |  | 0 |  |  | 0 | 94 |  |
Kazakhstan Hydro [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  | $ 0 |  | 2 |  |  | $ 0 | 92 |  |
Eletropaulo Subsidiary [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 340 |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kazakhstan [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets Carrying Amount Disclosure Nonrecurring |  |  |  |  |  | $ 171 |  |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses) |  |  |  |  |  | 92 |  |  |  |  |
Fair Value Less Costs To Sell |  |  |  |  |  | 29 |  |  |  |  |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of |  |  |  |  |  | $ 94 |  |  |  |  |
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kazakhstan Hydro [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets Carrying Amount Disclosure Nonrecurring |  |  |  |  | 190 |  |  |  | 190 |  |
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Foreign Currency Translation Gains (Losses) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100 |  |
Fair Value Less Costs To Sell |  |  |  |  | $ 92 |  |  |  | $ 92 |  |

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